Rafaela Barac-Bologa, vice-president of the National Student Council, explained how she was admitted to Harvard University. A student in the twelfth grade at the “Ștefan cel Mare” National College in Suceava, Rafaela narrated step by step the entire admission process.
Harvard is one of the largest universities in the world. Archive
“The most important thing in my application was that I was very civically involved. From the age of 11 I joined the Interact Club Suceava Bucovina, after that I joined the National Children’s Board, at UNICEF, in the Student Council at county and national level, and now I hold the position of vice president and international officer within the Organizing Bureau Of European School Students’ Union, i.e. in a way the European Council of Students”explains the student.
As for the academic side, she says that she has had an average of 9.92 in the last 3 years and participated in international olympiads. “I went to the International Junior Astronomy and Space Science Olympiad, where I got a gold medal and the absolute first prize in the night observation test, that is, with the telescope. Moreover, I took the American Baccalaureate, the SAT, and a language exam, i.e. IELTS. It is important that it is at least C1 level to have the best possible chance in your application”.
Rafaela Barac-Bologa also says that her file included the activities she was involved in, the awards she received, the competitions she took part in “Later, I was able to write about my life experiences in essays. I had a main essay where I talked about a personal problem and how I got through it using philosophy and stoicism as a passion. And five essays were specific to Harvard, where I could talk about my professional experience and what I want to bring to Harvard.”
What candidate profile is Harvard looking for?
The young woman believes that a complete profile of the candidate at Harvard is a holistic one. “I think the fact that I’ve always been very involved in what I’ve done has benefited me the most. And it was seen that it was with passion, it was not just for the diploma or the CV, both socially and extracurricularly, and academically. Through my passions I have shown that I want to better understand the world both scientifically and socially. And what I like most is that at Harvard there is a lot of emphasis on this holistic view and people who are prepared in several fields. So if you want to apply to Harvard, it is important to know that you would develop in several ways”.
Rafaela also explained how the interview tests she participated in went: “Then we had the next stage, which was the interview. I had an interview with another man who graduated from Harvard, from Romania and is now settled in England, which worked very well. The interview was positive and I was given the opportunity for a second interview with an admissions officer.” But, she added, not all applications are invited to this second interview. “I was asked more extensively about my extracurricular activities, logistically, team-wise, to better understand who I am and what I do,” completed this.
